Terms of Purchase : Consultations

Introduction

This document sets out the Terms and Conditions you agree to be bound by when you purchase a consultation with me. Please take a moment to read it carefully as it sets out your important rights and obligations and I care about making sure we both know where we stand. When you use my services, you agree that you are over the age of 18 and willing to be bound by these Terms of Purchase. If you are under 18, a parent or guardian must agree to these Terms on your behalf.

If you don’t accept this agreement, you should notify me immediately, so we can discuss your concerns.

Dr Danielle Arabena ABN: 74 963 249 846

Email: admin@drdaniellearabena.com.

Disclaimer

Please note: When I provide you with a consultation, I am NOT acting as your medical doctor or General Practitioner (GP). I provide complementary alternative services that are not a substitute for specialist medical, gynaecological or psychological care. I am happy to co-ordinate with the other health professionals who are treating you as an important part of your health and wellness team.

This consultation is NOT suitable for you if you have a diagnosis of a serious mental illness. I reserve the right to terminate our professional relationship should it become evident that I am not the best person to fulfil your needs. In these circumstances, I will return you to the care of your usual doctor and recommend that you get a referral to a counsellor or a psychologist, as I cannot activate a mental health care plan or provide you with specialist assistance.

Consultation Services

Holistic Pelvic Care

I am trained in holistic pelvic care™ (HPC) by its inventor, Tami Kent (www.wildfeminine.com). HPC works on the physical and energetic aspects of the pelvic bowl space. It includes gentle intervaginal massage to assess pelvic musculature health. Further treatments may include internal vaginal massage focusing on myofascial release and trigger points, instruction in pelvic muscles and breathing exercises, visualisations, rectal assessment, massage and other techniques as needed. HPC is a powerful treatment and can assist with psychological disassociation or numbing in the pelvic area after experiencing trauma or sexual assault, release of energetic patterns, grief, post-partum issues and menstrual irregularities. If you have a previous history of trauma, please ensure you have an established relationship with a counsellor whom you trust to support you before you commence this work. Even though HPC is quite subtle, it can bring up repressed trauma or trigger issues so please do make sure you have emotional support available afterwards.

HPC can be done while menstruating. However, I will not perform internal HPC if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant. You can have a HPC treatment at eight weeks post-partum and can have external energetic work while pregnant to help prepare for your delivery. I reserve the right to err on the side of safety and may decline to perform a treatment if I feel there is any risk.

Shamanic Healing

I use a combination of reiki, massage and Earth-centred shamanic techniques to work on your energetic body, either in person or at a distance using phone, Zoom or Skype. Please wear loose, non-restrictive clothing and ensure that you are in a private location where you will not be disturbed, if our consultation is online or by phone.

Menstrual Wellness Consulting

We begin by investigating your menstrual history and feeling into the energy of your body. We may also undertake some shamanic work to uncover what your menstrual cycle is revealing about your health and wellness. We then create a tailored holistic plan to improve your menstrual cycle and rebalance and restore your relationship with your womb. Please be aware that you will need to provide me with information about your experience with menstruation, including any surgeries, medical history which may include gynaecological, sexual and obstetric history, symptoms and main concerns. Your consultation will be more effective if you prepare this information in advance and bring it with you.

Counselling Services

During the initial consultation I will conduct an assessment to gain an understanding of your concerns and difficulties as well as your goals and expectations. I will use a combination of psychological therapies and energetic work to hold space for you while we develop new insights and understanding to current or past difficulties, and develop strategies to enhance your wellbeing,

Birth Education Services

I provide birth education services for both women and men combining the evidence based work of the first 1000 days, my medical education, my work as a graduate of the School of Shamanic Womancraft, and my work as a healer, with the aim to bring spiritual and whole health aspects and rituals back into birth for the benefit of the whole family.

Through Birth Alchemy™ I offer various workshops including meditation sessions, group work and connections for sacred birth – a shamanic journey for parents to connect with their baby,

I also work with parents in the post-natal period to help them debrief and work with their own and their babies’ birth stories, giving both women and men an opportunity to process, integrate and ground their experience of giving birth.

My Qualifications

As a medical doctor, I am bound by strict codes of ethics and conduct – and in particular the principle of “do no harm”. All of my 1:1 services are based on extensive research around the most recent evidence-based reviews. I also enjoy constantly improving and expanding my skills through ongoing professional development. My qualifications for providing the services I offer include:

RACGP fellow – consultant

level 2 mental health counselling

currently enrolled in diploma of aromatherapy with subset of aromatic medicine

currently enrolled in certificate course of women’s herbal medicine

Bachelor of Medicine / Bachelor of Surgery

Bachelor of Nursing

Bachelor of Business & Communications

Reiki mastership

numerous certificates in massage

Infant Massage instructor

Holistic Pelvic Care™ certification

graduate of the School of Shamanic Womancraft

First 1000 Days short course – Indigenous birthing knowledge from pre-conception to two years of age, and

as a medical and cultural educator, I teach Indigenous health to General Practitioner registrars and lead an Indigenous health training team.

Very Important Information

When you work with me, we are not entering into a doctor / patient relationship. I am assisting you to focus on your health and wellbeing using a combination of preventative health measures and alternative complementary treatments. I am NOT acting as your doctor, and the information and treatment advice that I give you does NOT replace the need to consult with your own doctor. I highly recommend that you do not commence working with me unless you have a good relationship with a General Practioner (GP) that you trust. If you have a history of trauma, I also recommend ensuring you have access to a counsellor whom you are comfortable talking to before we begin our treatment, as sometimes deeply buried emotions can arise which are beyond the scope of my service and I cannot support you through. If these feelings do arise following a session and your normal counsellor is unavailable, please call a publicly available counselling service such as Beyond Blue (1300 224 636) or Lifeline (13 11 14) for immediate assistance.

When working with me 1:1, it is your responsibility to be honest with me and give me your full personal medical history, so I can tailor your treatment to suit your needs. As already mentioned, it is important that you have the support of a General Practitioner (GP) in place and that you do any follow up care that I may recommend.

If you want to see results, it is strongly recommended that you do your ‘homework’ and implement the preventative care strategies and recommendations that I provide. However, it is also crucial that you listen to what is right for you and your body. If at any stage you feel my advice is not aligned to your needs, then don’t follow it – talk to me about it instead. In doing this work, we act together in partnership, and both of us need to work together towards our shared goal of improving your health.

I may offer to make an aromatherapy or herbal blend for you, to support specific needs that arise during counselling or other services. These blends will incur an additional cost including a postage and handling fee. Costs will be advised at the time of your session.

Please tell me immediately if you are pregnant or trying to fall pregnant, especially if your treatment involves intervaginal massage as we may need to modify the service I provide accordingly. If you are pregnant you cannot use 13 Moons Medicine™ Womb Alchemy oil as it contains Clary Sage which can cause uterine contractions.

Even though working therapeutically together can form strong bonds, unfortunately I am unable to be friends with you on Facebook or other social media channels. Due to professional restrictions around advertising, you cannot leave reviews or testimonials for my work as a medical doctor on my social media pages, and any comments of that kind will be removed. I may, however, ask for testimonials for workshops or healing sessions that I will put on my website or social media. Thank you for your understanding.

After Your Session

Please plan to be gentle with yourself for rest of day. Big energetic shifts are likely to be happening, so factor in time to rest and nourish yourself allowing the process to integrate before going back into the world.

If I have given you suggestions for appropriate follow up, I highly recommend you do them conscientiously. I would not like to see you suffer unnecessarily due to neglecting your self-care. I may ask you to send me a quick check in via email after one week, to let me know how you are going post treatment.

If you experience anything that concerns you or is causing you pain, please do not delay in seeking medical advice, or counselling. If your own counsellor is not available, you may wish to call Beyond Blue (1300 224 636) or Lifeline (13 11 14).

If you have purchased products from me, use them strictly according to the label and do not use them in ways that are not intended. For example, all aromatherapy products are for external application only. Do not use them internally (and this includes inside your vagina.)

Finally, please understand that deep work can take time and may not be fixed in one session. It is quite common to need additional treatments before you experience significant shifts. At your first session, we will develop a treatment plan together, and I ask that you commit to seeing the plan through in order to give yourself the best chance of a healthy relationship with your body.

Payment Terms

I accept payment by PayPal or bank deposit at time of booking. I do not take your bank account or credit card details. All transactions are governed by PayPal or your bank’s terms of use. Payment is required in advance to secure your booking time, and I also believe it helps us to honour the commitment to our contracted time together.

I may occasionally agree to enter into payment plans on an individual one-off basis depending on your circumstances. Please email me to enquire.

Please be aware, these treatments DO NOT attract a Medicare or private health insurance rebate and therefore private billing is required for in person, skype, zoom or phone consultations.

Delivery of Consultations

Consultations are held face to face in my clinic, or online via Skype, Zoom or phone. You will be provided with appropriate address and contact details at the time of booking.

For online calls, please ensure that you have a reliable internet or phone connection.

Please be aware that I run a very busy practice. It is very important that you are available and ready to begin at the agreed time for our consultation. If you are late for your appointment, your total consultation will be shorter and will finish at the originally scheduled time, so that I do not run late for my other appointments. If you are more than 15 minutes late, this is considered to be a missed appointment. Your appointment time will be forfeited and no refunds given. If there is an emergency, please contact me prior to the scheduled appointment time, so I can offer an alternative arrangement at my discretion.

Refund Policy

In the event that I have to cancel our consultation (if unforeseeable circumstances occur) you will receive a full refund. I will advise you, either by email, message or telephone call, prior to the scheduled consultation.

Please note that in the event of cancellation I will not be responsible for any other costs other than the consultation payment.

Due to the nature of my business and busy schedule, I am unable to accommodate multiple requests to reschedule. If you need to change your appointment time you can do so as a once off, up 48 hours prior to your appointment time, with no charge. If you need to change the time again or provide me with less than 48 hours notice, you may incur a service fee of 30% of your payment. You agree that this is reasonable, as I have held the scheduled slot open for you and due to your late notice, I am not able to book another client in that time. If you wish to cancel your appointment, you must provide me with 48 hours notice in order to receive a full refund. If you miss a session without notifying me in advance, or are more than 15 minutes late, the appointment is forfeited and there will be no refund.

If you need to cancel a consultation with less than 48 hours notice due to emergency circumstances, I may choose to waive the service fee or offer an alternative arrangement at my sole discretion.

Consumer Guarantees

Results of treatment are extremely personal and will vary between individuals due to your unique history, health and personal circumstances. Accordingly, any benefits mentioned in connection with my products or services are aspirational only and indicative of what may be achieved based on my experience and that of past clients. No results of any kind are guaranteed. While I will do my best to deliver high quality products and services, it is a condition of purchase that you agree I cannot be held responsible for products or treatments that do not meet your expectations, are not “successful” or that do not achieve the results you desire.

Limitation of Liability

You agree to indemnify me (hold me blameless) for any injury or illness that you might suffer or any damage or loss that might occur while we are working together. If you have any doubts at all about any issue that might arise, you agree that you will conduct your own research, seek advice from an appropriate medical professional, and make your own fully informed decision about what is best for you.

In no event shall I be liable to you for costs, loss or damage of any kind arising out of or related to these Terms of Purchase or the consultation provided in relation to it. If this clause is unenforceable for any reason, my total cumulative liability for all causes of action of any kind shall not exceed the total amount you have paid me for the consultation.

Confidentiality

I am committed to securely storing and handling your sensitive information. It is stored on a fingerprint or password locked device, or on an external hard drive or paper notes in a locked cabinet. Only I have access to these locations. I do not store information online or use any form of cloud storage for sensitive information.

With regard to people under the age of 18, I only work with mature minors or those who are accompanied by a parent. Sensitive information about minors is securely stored under the policy outlined above. However, as a mandatory reporter and medical professional, I may be required to breach this security to alert appropriate authorities or other professionals if I have serious concerns about the safety or mental health of a minor, or if there is a need to escalate their treatment under my duty of care.

All archived sensitive information is securely destroyed after 7 years.

You may choose not to provide me with your personal information. However, this severely limits my ability to provide services to you, and could potentially be extremely dangerous. If I feel that you are not being open with me, I reserve the right to refuse to work with you.

It is extremely important that you provide me with your correct name and contact details as inaccurate information could delay treatment if I need to escalate your care or have concerns about your safety.

I understand that you are trusting me with highly sensitive personal information about your health and relationships. I take this obligation extremely seriously. I will never share your information without your express permission unless:

there is an emergency situation

I am required to do so by law, such as in response to a subpoena or court order (although I will first seek legal advice and limit my compliance to only what is necessary), or

where I have reasonable grounds to suspect that unlawful activity, or misconduct of a serious nature, that relates to my functions or activities has been, is being or may be engaged in.

As with any medical consultation, I will not provide you with access to notes that I have taken during our consultations, under any circumstances. These are strictly for my own use, to ensure that any treatment I provide is tailored to your unique needs. What I will give you is information about your invidualised management plan.

The material I share with you during our sessions is copyright to me. As a result, sessions must not be recorded without my express permission.

Jurisdiction & Dispute Resolution

These Terms of Purchase are subject to the governing law of Queensland, Australia.

If any issue or complaint arises out of your purchase of my services, you agree to make a genuine effort to resolve the dispute with me personally, through negotiation and discussion.

If we are unable to resolve a dispute by negotiation and discussion within 14 days, we agree to proceed to mediation with the assistance of an independent accredited mediator, and to share the costs of mediation equally between us.

Litigation is to be considered a last resort and may not be commenced until, in the opinion of the independent mediator, the potential for negotiation and mediation have been exhausted.